Coupler pocket



Aug. 27, 1940. Q NEKOLA 2,212,646

COUPLER POCKET Filed April 16, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Harry 0 Ale/cola 'Aug. 27, 1940.

H. o. NEKOLA ,212,646

.COUPLER POCKET Filed April 16, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 g- 1940' H. o. NE KOLA COUPLER POCKET Filed April 16, 1937 3 SheetsSheet 3 I Y I INVENTOR liar/y 0. IVE/cola BY ATTORNW Patented Aug. 27, 1940 UNITED STATES 2,212,646 COUPLER POCKET Harry 0. Nekola, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, assignor to National Malleable and Steel Castings Company, 0leveland,-Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application April 16, 1937, Serial N 137,189

21 Claims.

This invention relates to railway locomotive pilot coupler pockets so arranged that the coupler may be swung to a position where it is entirely within the confines of the front end of the locomotive.

It is a desirable feature to construct the 1000-- motive front end, or pilot, so that it is free of any outwardly projecting parts. When the locomotive strikes an obstruction in its path, the hook like portion of the coupler, which usually extends outwardly from the locomotive pilot, may become engaged with the obstruction and possibly cause the locomotive to be derailed. By swinging the coupler within the locomotive pilot when it is not in use, the locomotive may have a smooth front end by placing a cover plate over the opening in the pilot and the projection of the coupler outwardly of the pilot is eliminated.

, In effecting the foregoing object I provide a pocket pivoted at one end and adapted to swing laterally so as to withdraw the associated coupler within the pilot housing. Another important feature of my invention comprises a pocket adapted to cooperate with the coupler, when it is being retracted, in such a manner as to effect a jack-knife relation between the pocket and coupler and thereby occupy a minimum amount of space. A still further object of my invention is a retractable pocket with a positive locking arrangement which will securely hold the pocket rigid in the pilot structure when the coupler is in operating position. Other objects and advantages of my invention will appearfrom the following description and drawings.

I In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of part of the locomotive pilot, showing the pocket and coupler in operating position, and also in retracted position by the dot-dash lines.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of thearrows. Fi ure 3 is a front elevational View with the coupler shank shown in section. v Figure 4 is an isometric view of the coupler pocket; and I Figure 5 is a plan view of the shim. Referring to the drawings which illustrate an embodiment of my invention, there is shown a locomotive pilot having an opening ill in its sloping front wallll. Walls l2 and l3 extend rearwardly from the upper and lower edges of opening l0 forming the roof and floor respectively of the housing for the coupler pocket memher and are joined at their rear ends by, a vertical wall 9. The pocket is pivotally mounted in the pilot by a pin M which passes through suitable aperturesin the upper and lower walls I2 and I 3 and also through a corresponding aperture it in the pocket. I

The coupler shank I6 is mounted for pivotal movement relative to the pocket by pin ll which passes through suitable apertures in the upper wall l8 and the lower wall l9 of the pocket, as indicated at 26, and also through a corresponding aperture in said coupler shank. The portion 2| of the coupler head 22 restson the supporting shelf 23 extending from the lower wall of the pocket. Shelf 23 may be reinforced by ribs 24 joining the under side thereof to adjacent portions of the pocket. The upper and lower walls is and ill of the pocket are joined at their rear ends by a cylindrical wall 25 concentric with the coupler pivot pin IT. The side walls 28 of the pocket flare outwardly from the rear wall 25 to provide for lateral swinging of the coupler.

In order to limit the swing of the pocket, when in retracted position, I provide a stop 30 projecting upwardly from the lower wall l3 of the pilot and adapted to contact the boss 3| of the pocket when the latter has been swung inwardly the desired distance. Outward swinging of the pocket islimited by a stop 32 extending downwardly from the upper wall [2 of the pilot and adapted to be contacted by a lug 33 extending laterally from boss 34 of the pocket. With this stop arrangement the pocket will be prevented from swinging beyond either the intended retracted position or its operative position.

Figure 1 shows the relative positions of the pocket and couplerwhen the coupler has been retracted within the pilot. The pocket has swung through an angle less than 90 degrees, and the coupler has been angled away from pin M in order that it will be wholly within the pilot. This jack-knife arrangement, as can be readily seen, requires a minimum amount of space which is very desirable for use on locomotives where only a limited space is available in the pocket housing.

In order to lock the pocket member when the coupler is in operating position, I have provided a novel means housed within the pocket and adapted to be projected into walls l2 and I3 for efiectively holding'the member in place. This locking means comprises an upper pin 35 passing through an aperture in the upperwall I2 of the pilot and also through the upper portion of a hole 38 in the pocket. Similarly, a lower pin 36 passes through an aperture in the lower wall device 44 attached to handle 39.

I3 of the pilot and also through the lower portion of hole 38. Spring 31, in the center portion of hole 38 and between the pins, holds said pins in locking position in their respective openings in walls l2 and I3. Handles 39 and 40, attached to the pins, are used to withdraw the pins from their respective openings and are adapted to move vertically in corresponding slots 4! and 12, in the cylindrical portion 43 of the pocket. When the pocket is to be unlocked, the handle 39 is lowered to the bottom of slot 4|, and handle E0 is raised until it can be held by the hook-shaped During this operation, spring 3? is compressed by movement of the pins towards each other. The pocket is now free to pivot about pin I 4. It will be observed that by providing a single member for holding both pins in retracted position, they will be released simultaneously by member 44, and thus. danger of having only one pin in looking position is avoided. It is apparent that with only one pin in looking position it would be subjected, during draft and bufi'ing blows on the coupler, to a severe stress which, if great enough, would result in failure thereof.

To facilitate the lateral swinging of the pocket and coupler during retraction and projection, I have provided a roller 45 which is mounted on axle 46 on the under side of supporting shelf 23 and which travels on a curved track 41, extending upwardly from lower wall l3.

Although no means has been shown for closing opening It! in the pilot, it is usual to provide a cover plate to give the locomotive a smooth front. The cover plate would also serve to prevent the coupler from swinging out of its housing during travel of the locomotive.

In the pocket I provide a shim 48 positioned on the upper surface of the coupler shank. This shim has a shape corresponding to the contour of the inner walls of the pocket and is held in place by pivot pin l1 and may be transferred to the lower wall of the pocket and underneath the coupler shank It when it becomes necessary to raise the coupler horizontally. Under such a condition another shim of the same thickness will be placed beneath the portion 2| or the coupler head 22 on the supporting shelf 23 of the pocket.

It will thus be apparent that my invention embodies a unique pocket construction in which the coupler can be angled laterally within the pocket, and the pocket can be swung laterally about a pivot pin in the pilot. When retracted, the coupler is in a position substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the locomotive and is readily accessible for projection from the pilot. While the pocket is particularly adapted to be used with an A. A. R. standard coupler, it may be adapted to be used with other types of couplers or of coupler shanks.

The terms and expressions which I have em ployed are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and I have no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, but recognize that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed.

What I claim is:

1. In a railway locomotive pilothaving a recess adapted to receive a coupler and a pocket member therein, a pocket member in said recess pivotally connected at one end to said pilot and releasably secured to the pilot at its other end,

said member being adapted to receive a coupler butt intermediate said pivotal mounting and said securing means and adapted to move from a position in which the coupler is in operating position to a position in which the coupler is entirely within the confines of said pilot.

2. In a railway locomotive pilot having a recess adapted to receive a coupler and a coupler pocket therein, a coupler pocket pivotally connected in said recess to said pilot, a coupler pivotally mounted in said pocket, said coupler and said pocket adapted to be swung from an operative position in which said coupler projects from said pilot to a jack-knife position in relation to said pilot when said coupler is in non-operative position within said pilot.

3. In a railway locomotive pilot having a recess adapted to receive a coupler and a coupler pocket therein, a coupler pocket pivotally connected in said recess to said pilot, said pocket that an attached coupler will lie entirely within the confines of said pilot, and locking means within said pocket adapted to coact with recesses in the walls of said pilot to lock said pocket from movement relative to said pilot when said coupler is in operating position.

4. In a railway locomotive pilot comprising upper and a lower wall and having a recess between said walls adapted to receive a coupler and a pocket member therein, a pocket member in said recess pivotally connected to said pilot, a coupler pivotally secured to said pocket, said pocket and coupler being adapted to be swung to 'a position in which said coupler is entirely within the confines of said pilot, locking means carried by said member, said means being adapted to coact with recesses in said walls to lock said member from movement with respect to said pilot when said coupler and member are swung to coupler operating position in which said coupler projects from said pilot. I

5. In a railway locomotive pilot having an upper and a lower wall and having a recess between said walls adapted toreceive a coupler and a coupler pocket, a coupler pocket within said recess pivotally connected to said walls, said pocket being adapted to move from a position in which an attached coupler is in operative position to a position in which the coupler is entirely within the confines of said pilot, a shelf projecting forwardly from said pocket above said lower wall, and a roller pivotally mounted on the underside of said shelf and adapted to travel on said lower wall during pivotal movement of said pocket with respect to said pilot. I

6. In a railway locomotive pilot comprising upper and lower walls and having a recess be+ tween said walls adapted to receive a coupler and a pocket member therein, a pocket member in said recess pivotally connected to said pilot, a coupler pivotally secured to said pocket, said member being adapted to move from a position in which said coupler is in operative position to a position in which said coupler is entirely within the confines of said pilot, and locking means carried by said member adapted to coact with recesses in said walls to lock said member from movement relative to said pilot when said coupler is in operating position, said means comprising a pair of pins and a spring therebetween holding said pins in looking position in said walls.

7. In a railway locomotive pilot comprising upper and lower walls and having a recess between said walls adaptedto'receive a coupler and being adapted to be swung to a position such a pocket member therein, a pocket member in said recess pivotally connected to said pilot, a coupler pivotally secured to said pocket, said member being adapted to move from a position in which said coupler is in operative position to a position in which said coupler is entirely within the confines of said pilot, locking means carried in said pocket comprising a pair of pins and a spring therebetween, said pins being adapted to coact' with recesses in the walls of said pilot to lock said member from movement relative to said pilot when said coupler is in operating position, and means on said locking means for holding said pins in retracted position.

8. In a railway locomotive pilot having a recess adapted to receive a coupler and a pocket member therein, a pocket member in said recess pivotally connected to said pilot, a coupler pivotally secured to said pocket, said member being adapted to move from a position in which said coupler is in operative position to a position in which said coupler is entirely within the confines of said pilot, locking means carried by said pocket comprising a pair of pins and a spring therebetween and adapted to engage said pilot for locking said pocket from movement relative to said pilot, and means on one of said pins adapted to engage the other of said pins for holding said pins in retracted position.

9. In a railway locomotive pilot comprising upper and lower walls and having a recess between said walls adapted to receive a coupler and a pocket member therein, a pocket member in said recess pivotally connected to said pilot, a coupler pivotally secured to said pocket, said member being adapted to move from a position in which said coupler is in operative position to a position in which said coupler is entirely within the confines of said pilot, locking means carried by said member, said means comprising a pair of pins with a spring therebetween, said pins being adapted to be partially projected by said spring into said walls to lock said member from movement relative to said pilot when said coupler is in operating position, and means on said pins adapted to be manually operated for moving said pins out of locking position.

10. In a railway locomotive pilot comprising upper and lower walls and having a recess between said Walls adapted to receive a coupler and a pocket member therein, a pocket member in said recess pivotally connected to said pilot, a coupler pivotally secured to said pocket, said member being adapted to move from a position in which said coupler is in operative position to a position in which said coupler is entirely within the confines of said pilot, locking means carried by said member, said means comprising a pair of pins with a spring therebetween, said pins being adapted to be partially projected by said spring into said walls to lock said member from movement relative to said pilot when said coupler is in operating position, a handle connected to each of said pins extending through vertical slots in said pocket and adapted to be manually operated for moving said pins out of locking position, and a locking member pivotally attached to one of said pins and adapted to engage said handle on said other pin for holding said pins in retracted position.

11. In a railway locomotive pilot having a recess adapted to receive a coupler and a pocket member therein, a pocket member in said recess pivotally connected to said pilot, a coupler pivotally mounted in said pocket member, said pocket member and coupler being so constructed and arranged as to permit said coupler to swing with said pocket member into said pilot to a position Where said coupler is substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of said pilot.

12. In combination with a railway loco-motive pilot having a recess adapted to receive a coupler and a pocket member therein, a pocket member in said recess pivotally connected to said pilot, a coupler pivotally mounted in said pocket and being adapted to be swung with said pocket forwardly from said pilot to operating position and inwardly to a retracted position within said pilot, and a lug on the pilot extending in front of said pocket adapted to limit forward swinging thereof during movement of said coupler to operating position.

13. In combination with a locomotive pilot, a coupler pocket member comprising upper and lower Walls, a rear cylindrical wall joining said upper and lower walls and adapted to be engaged by the coupler shank, side walls diverging forwardly from said rear wall, and means forwardly and laterally of said rear wall for pivotally mounting said pocket in said pilot.

14. In combination with a locomotive pilot having upper and lower walls and a recess therebetween adapted to receive a coupler and a coupler pocket, a coupler pocket in said recess pivotally connected at one end to said pilot and comprising top and bottom walls, a cylindrical rear wall connecting said top and bottom walls, side walls flaring outwardly from said rear wall, a shelf extending from said bottom Wall adapted to support a coupler, said pocket being adapted to move from a position in which an attached coupler is in operative position to a position in which the coupler is entirely within the confines of said pilot, and a roller mounted on the under side of said shelf and adapted to travel on said lower wall of said pilot during pivotal movement of said pocket with respect to said pilot.

15. In a railway locomotive pilot having a recess adapted to receive a coupler and a coupler pocket, a coupler pocket in said recess pivotally connected to said pilot and adapted to assume a retracted position therein, a coupler pivotally mounted in said pocket, locking means carried by said member, said means being adapted to be partially projected into said walls to lock said member from movement relative to said pilot when said coupler is in operating position, said pocket being constructed and arranged to cooperate with said coupler in such a manner as to effect a jack-knife relation between said pocket and said coupler with respect to said coupler when said coupler is being retracted within said pilot.

16. In a railway locomotive pilot having a recess adapted to receive a coupler and a pocket member therein, a pocket member in said recess pivotally connected at one end to said pilot and releasably secured at its other end, said member being adapted to receive a coupler butt intermediate said pivotal mounting and said securing means and to assume a retracted position within said pilot, and said coupler and said pocket member being constructed and arranged toassume a jack-knife position in relation to said pilot when said pocket member is pivoted to a position within said pilot.

17. In a railway locomotive pilot having a recess adapted to receive a coupler and a pocket member therein, a pocket member in said recess pivotally connected atone end to said pilot and releasably secured at its other end, said member being adapted to receive a coupler butt intermediate said pivotal mounting and said securing means, said pocket and coupler being so constructed and arranged as to permit said coupler to swing with said pocket into said pilot to a position where said coupler is substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of said pilot.

18, In a railway locomotive pilot having a recess adapted to receive a coupler and a pocket member therein, a pocket member in said recess, pivotally connected to said pilot, a coupler pivotally mounted in said pocket and being adapted to be swung with said pocket forwardly from said pilot to operating position and inwardly to a retracted position within said pilot.

19. In a railway locomotive pilot comprising upper and lower walls and having a recess between said walls adapted to receive a coupler and a pocket member therein, a pocket member in said recess pivotally connected to said pilot, a coupler mounted in said pocket, said member being adapted to move from a position in which said coupler is in operative position to a position in which said coupler is entirely within the confines of said pilot, locking means carried by said pocket and adapted to be partially projected into the walls of said pilot when said pocket is in operating position, a coupler supporting shelf projecting from said pocket above said lower wall, and a roller pivotally mounted on the underside of said shelf and adapted to travel on said lower wall during pivotal movement of said pocket.

20. In a railway locomotive pilot comprising upper and lower walls and having a recess between said walls adapted to receive a coupler and a pocket member therein, a pocket member in said recess pivotally connected at one end to said pilot and releasably secured at its other end, a coupler mounted'in said pocket, a coupler supporting shelf projecting from said pocket above said lower wall, and a roller pivotally mounted on the underside of said shelf and adapted to travel on said lower wall during pivotal movement of said pocket.

21. In a railway locomotive pilot having a recess adapted to receive a'coupler and a coupler pocket, a coupler pocket in said recess pivotally connected to said pilot, a coupler pivotally mounted in saidpocket, said coupler and said pocket being constructed and arranged to assume a jack-knife position in relation to said pilot and entirely within the pilot when said coupler is in non-operative position.

HARRY O. NEKOLA. 

